Production controller



1933- 0. c. ROESEN 1,924,624

PRODUC TI ON CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 27, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l jm r J2QQFaese Aug. 29, 1933. o. c. ROESEN PRODUCTION CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 27,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 er?! a...

Patented Aug. 29, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE PRODUCTIONCONTROLLER Application Bee ember 27, 1928 Serial No. 328,790

This invention relates to counting mechanism for counting the productsof a machine and to the control by the production to stop the machinedrawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view, largely diagrammatic in form,showing one form of this invention as applied to a dispatch conveyor fordelivering the products of a newspaper printing machine;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the subtraction counter;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to a part of Fig. 1 showing the counter controldevice in a different position;

counting wheel in the position it assumes when there are no furtherpapers to be run through it, and

Fig. 5 'is a side view of the same in that position.

In a previous patent application, Serial No. 224,567, filed Oct. 7,1927, I have illustrated and described a production controller whichcontrols the combined production of several printing presses or othermachines. In that application no provision was made for deductingautomatically from the recorded quantity the number of papers which,although delivered in the delivery room, are found to be unfit for useand can properly be 40'-deducted from the record. Another correction hasto be made for papers which are delivered on the delivery at the folder,but are removed therefrom by the pressman for inspection or eliminationbecause of defects which he may find as a result of his inspection.A This invention is designed for making up the deficiency caused byremoval of papers for defectiveness or for inspection. It is shown inthe first five figures as connected with the folding machine 10 which,through its delivery fan 11, delivers papers to a series of parallelspaced delivery belts 12 which conduct them through a dispatch conveyor,as indicated, to a series-of belts 13 in the delivery room. These paperspass a 55 counting wheel 14 having teeth or corrugations in Fig. 4 is aview similar to Fig. 1 showing the its circumference which is locatedbetween two of the belts and therefore is rotated by the papers and whenconnected by a magnetic clutch 15 gives impulses through a line 46 to aproduction controller which is connected in said line and Q30 which maybe of any desired kind, including the kind shown in my above identifiedapplication and is illustrated herein diagrammatically at 6. Thisconnection is made through a commutator 17 of ordinary construction and,as shown, oper- 5 ates the counter once for every-ten: papers deliveredf1 1 The shaft 18 on which'the magnetic clutch and counting wheel aremounted is pivotally mounted by means of arms 19 and provided with aspring 20 for holding it towards the papers. When the papers have passedbeyond it as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the wheel 14 will engage a brake pad21 which is'corrugated on its face to stop the counting wheel and holdit in fixed position.

The line 16 is connected through a suitable source of power as 22 with acontact 23 adapted to be completed by a contact 24 on a lever 25. Thislever can be set in two positions as indicated in. Figs. 1 and 3. In theposition shown in Fig. 1 it completes a circuit through the battery 22and the contact 24 with acontact 26. This operates a magnetic clutch 27on a shaft 28 connected by gearing 29 with a shaft 30 carrying thepulleys for supporting the belts 13. The energizing of this v clutch 27causes a crank 31 to rotate and operate a subtracting counter 32. Thissubtracting counter may be of the type set forth in my above mentionedapplication or an ordinary counter may be used which is set back fromzero to operate in the ordinary way, as will be explained.

When this counter 32 comes to zero it establishes a circuit 33 through asolenoid 34 and attracts the end of a lever 35 on the other end of whichis a latch 36 which normally holds the lever 25 in the position shown inFig. 1. When this solenoid is operated, therefore, the lever 35 willrelease the lever 25 as shown in Fig. 3 and a spring 37 will draw itback so as to bring the contacts 23 and 24 into contact and break thecontact at 26.

The operation of the device is as follows: When the machine is operatednormally the lever 25 is in the position shown. in Fig. 3 and themagnetic clutch 27 is open. Also the counter 32 is not in action but theordinary counter 47 connected with the line 46 is operating in the usualway, the clutch 15 being energized. Now when a number of papers aretaken out, the counter 32 is set by hand so that when it operates anumber of times equal to the number of papers removed it will come 110back to zero. In the case of a subtracting counter such as used in myabovementioned application it is set by hand to indicate the number ofproducts which have been removed and then its subsequent operation torecord that number of papers or other articles will bring it to zero. Ifan ordinary counter is used it could be set back to a position enoughunder the zero position to cause the number of papers to bring it backto zero. For example, it could be set to 99983 if seventeen papers wereremoved. Then it would indicate zero. when seventeen more has beendelivered with the clutch 27 energized. At any rate having set thecounter the operator then moves the lever 25 from the position shown inFig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 1 and the magnetic clutch 27 is connectedso that the counter 32 will operate and the clutch 15 is deenergized.When it comes to zero the solenoid 34 is energized and the lever 25restored to normal position as shown in Fig. 3 and the machine is readyfor operation again. This release of the handle 25 also breaks thecircuit to the solenoid andto the magnetic clutch 27 as will beunderstood readily.

It will be seen that in the normal delivery of papers to the deliveryroom the wheel will cause impulses to be sent to the productioncontroller as long as papers are being delivered to the mailing room.'When the flow of papers is interrupted by the total number desiredbeing delivered, a signal is given by the production controller which isnot shown herein. Then the operator moves the handle 25 which preventsfurther impulses being sent to the production controller and thesubtracting counter 32 is set-by hand as stated. Then this automaticallystops the machine or' machines after that number of papers has been madeupor gives a signal as desired.

It will be seen thatthe production controller can be connected up tooperate as set forth in' the above identified application, or in anyother desired way, to record the combined production of several printingpresses or other machines and that when papers are abstracted from thoserecorded, when they get to the delivery room on account of being unfitfor use, and other papers are removed by the pressman for inspection orbecause of defects, they are deducted from the count. In other wordsother papers are supplied in the usual way and the machine or machinesare stopped automatically or a signal given when the total number ofpapers actually delivered in good condition is equal to the numberrecorded in the production controller.

Although I have illustrated and described only one form of the inventionI am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by anyperson skilled in the art without departing from the scope of theinvention as expressed inthe claims. Therefore, I do not wish to belimited in this respect but what I do claim is:-

1. In a counting device for the purpose described, the combination witha conveyor for transferring articles, of a counting wheel movablymounted, means for normally forcing the counting wheel against saidarticles, a brake in position to be engaged by the counting wheel andstopping it when the articles have passed it, a shaft on which saidwheel is located, a commutator and magnetic clutch on said shaft, and acounter connected with and controlled by said commutator for countingthe articles delivered in accordance with the rotation of said shaft.

2. In a counting device for the purpose described, the combination witha conveyor for transferring articles, of a counting wheel movablymounted, a spring for normally forcing the counting wheel against saidarticles, a brake engaging the counting wheel and stopping it when thearticles have passed it, a shaft on which said wheel is located, acommutator and magnetic clutch on said shaft, a counter connected withand controlled by said commutator for counting the articles delivered inaccordance with the ro-

